A Tale of Two SoCal Makeovers

Curbed L.A. does a double-take on the corner of Cahuenga Boulevard and Fountain Avenue, with Now You See It/Now You Don't pictures. (See photos above.) The first photograph shows obsolete, Spanish Revival bungalows from the 1920s occupying the spot in November. The second image depicts the same spot today, with a charming, vacant lot of dreams where the bungalows once stood. Curbed L.A. quotes property broker's description of the newly flattened parcel:

"The Property presents a developer with an extremely rare opportunity to create a high-density, mixed-use (retail and residential) community in the heart of Hollywood."

A far happier makeover appears on the urban-planning site FourStory, where Tony Chavira has fun playing with smart-growth software developed by Urban Advantage and the Natural Resources Defense Council (slightly misnamed in Chavira's post). The software program takes existing urban "dead zones" and permits users to visually overlay different development options over the current neighborhood. Here Chavira uses the program to re-imagine a deserted Dana Point street into a pedestrian-friendly community with an open-air feel.

Dana Point Now:

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